How to make perfume

Why spend a fortune on perfume or cologne when you can make your own for cheap. Brand name perfume/cologne can cost from $50-100, why spend that much when you can create your own fragrance with vodka and essential oils.

Instead of wearing a fragrance that everyone else wears you can make your own unique blend. Your own aromatic creations also makes a thoughtful gift.

Step 1 What you need:

Ingredients:

• Vodka (the higher percentage alcohol the better) or Everclear if you can get it
• Essential oils*, fragrance oils**, infused oils, even flavour*** extracts (make sure it's pure) such as vanilla extract
• distilled or spring water
• glycerine (this can be found in pharmacies)

Other stuff

• pretty glass bottles to put the finished product in, preferably coloured glass, reuse bottles or find them at the dollar store.
• glass jar for mixing fragrance in
• measuring cup/spoons
• a dropper if you have one
• funnel
• aluminum foil or wrapping paper if you are using clear glass bottles
• a pencil and paper for jotting down your recipe
• a discerning nose is helpful

*You can also make your own perfume oil Be a Romantic Scientist: Distill your own perfume oil.

**Fragrance oils are synthetic and are less expensive than essential oils.

***Quite a few perfumes use food flavours in them, so extracts are an easy way of incorporating them into your own creations.

Comments

[myna 07]

hey can i use food flavors from market as a replacement for some expensive oils???

[ChrysN]

Sure, that would work.

[myna 07]

really??? are you referring to me??? can you give me a simple recipe of a perfume??

[ChrysN]

You can find some easy recipes here: http://www.essential-oil-recipes.com/aromatherapy-perfume-recipes.html

[mlira1]

I wanted to make a really strong vanilla scent so I bought some vanilla musk oil and I added like 30 drops but it just smells a lot like alcohol still. THat's the only oil I added because I want the scent to be super soft. Any tips for fixing this problem??

[ChrysN]

When you spray it on, the alcohol should evaporate leaving only the scent of the oil. It is likely that the vanilla musk oil (or components of it) is not soluble in alcohol. I noticed that some Vanilla Musk oils contains resin which is not soluble in alcohol. There is nothing you can do about this.

[grandof8]

Where is the best place to buy your oils? I bought some from Liberty and the shipping was almost as much as the oils.

[ChrysN]

I usually buy oils from a local grocery store to avoid shipping costs. Basenotes has a breakdown of the fragrance notes found in Mesmerize.

[grandof8]

ChrysN Can Fragnace Oils be used as well as Essential Oils? Some of the Notes in mesmerize I tried to find and no luck. Thanks

[ChrysN]

Yes they are okay, fragrance oils are just synthetic oils. It may be the only way to get certain scents (for example Mandarin).

[grandof8]

wuld you know the oils in Mesmerize?

[joeny1980]

Very interesting. There is a very expensive cologne thats over $200 I'd love to try to replicate instead of buy. I found it on basenotes and can see exactly what all the notes are. Now, a cpl questions

1. you said 25 drops of oil... so is that 25 drops TOTAL of all oils used? In other words for every 1/4cup of vodka, and 2 tbsp of water and 5 drops of glycerin it should have approx 25 drops of oil in total?

2. when you're mixing the oils are you mixing them in the alcohol or

3. with regards to top/mid/base notes - does that affect the amount of oils used or is that just the classification of them. In other words, if there is a top note of melon and a mid note of chocolate, am I typically using more melon than chocolate?

4. Have you sucessfully replicated perfumes that already exist with this method by simply following basenotes.net.

[grandof8]

Hi joeny1980.. Can you tell what you are making and the swnts you are using

[ChrysN]

1. Yes, that is 25 drops total. But there is some leeway a few drops more or less won't hurt.
2. Yes, you are mixing them in the alcohol.
3. Those are for classification purposes as well as to give you an understanding of how the scents interact (top notes you smell first, the base notes linger longer etc.)
4. I prefer to mix my own scents.

I hope this helps.

[joeny1980]

Yes thanks. It helps. One more question - you said when making a spray add more water... can you clarify approx how much . I dont want to over-dilute and ruin it.

[ChrysN]

This is more of a personal preference I tend to add 50% perfume an 50% water in a spray bottle but I don't like it too strong. You can start with less (ie the 2 tablespoons mentioned above) and try it out and add more water to your taste!

[joeny1980]

Great thank you for the great instructable and tips. As we speak I'm ordering all of the oils 10 in total, and IPM Isopropyl Myristate (which is an alternative to Perfumers alcohol... apparently). All else I'll need is glycerine from the drug store. I'll let you know how it turns out. The total of this order is $45 shipped (and I bought the oils in small 1oz sizes, so I could have saved money buying in bulk). And just this amount will probably make me several bottles of this cologne which retails for about $150 for 3oz

I suppose I have one more question - the product I'm trying to replicate is called a "Eau De Parfums" spray which I assume might mean a different amount of 'watering down' of it. Any additional guidance, considering that classification?

[ChrysN]

Eau De Parfums are roughly 5-15% scent oils, I did some calculations the recipe I gave is roughly 5% so you shouldn't add any more water. More water would make it more of an Eau De Toilette.

[joeny1980]

Ok, so I just finished mixing and now I've stored away to age. I gotta tell you, for a first try... so far I'm pleased. I hope the scents mature as they age, the cologne I'm replicating has been described as very complex - so I wasnt sure if I'd get close - but I think I'm pretty close.

My first impressions:
I'm glad I got that IPM Isoproply myristate - it was inexpensive and completely odorless, I was concerned about off-odors of vodka.

One drop at a time is smart, I got lazy a couple times and did two and had to compensate for it.

I have a question - do you ever use anything else or anything otherwise 'odd' in your perfumes? For example - though its not listed in the basenotes, the cologne I'm trying to replicate is frequently described as salty or like sea air. I dont want to get too crazy, but my first thought is.... why not add some salt?

Second - I did a very small side batch mixing with the glycerine and water - the oil and water seperate. I suppose thats a given - but what fixes that? Obviously commercial perfumes are not seperated.

[joeny1980]

One more thing ... is there anything to do to improve the projection of the perfume?

[ChrysN]

I usually just stick with essential/scent oils, I'm not sure how to create a saltiness or what the effect of adding salt to your perfume would be I don't think it would do any harm to try (though it may leave a residue when it evaporates). You should check out the forum at basenotes there are some really keen noses over there that may be able to help you get the sea air.

The oil won't mix with the water but the scent (the aromatic compounds) in the oils will be absorbed into the alcohol with time (thus the aging). I usually just shake it up a bit before I apply. I suppose you can let it sit and the oil will move to the top and try to decant it off.

[joeny1980]

Great thanks for all the feedback.

I read that there really is no way around it with the oil/water mixing - but commercial perfumers dont use oils maybe they are distilling the aromatic compounds or somehing - I dunno - anyhow, I can deal with it - just curious.

Actually after I wrote that - I looked, and go figure - they actually have a "sea salt" fragrance oil, with the scent of salt.

[ChrysN]

Cool, a sea salt fragrance oil, I'll try it sometime.

[grandof8]

No I was not seeing the steps so I clicked on your message ( one Page) I was also able to get on the masculine scent page. Thanks for your help.. I have learned alot in the past days from your postings to others and to me.

[grandof8]

Where can you get the steps mention in the posts below. and is there a list for woman and men scents. Thanks

[ChrysN]

Are you seeing all of the steps on one page?  If you checkout the basenotes websites, under advanced search you can search by gender.  Here is a listing of masculine scents.

[t800]

Thanks very much for the really interesting instructable!

I have a question: would you normally add more base note oil drops than middle and top to make up the 25 drops total? ...I mean would you go for, for example, 4 drops for the top note fragrance, 7 for the middle and 14 for the base if you planned to use 3 oils, or the other way round, 14 top, 7 mid and 4 base?

[grandof8]

h much alcohol are you using for that ratio?

[t800]

I used 1/4 cup as per Instructable but I left the 2 tablespoons water out because the vodka I used is not very strong.

[ChrysN]

Thanks. That is a really good question. The lower notes tend to dominate so your second suggestion with the 4 drops base note would be better and in roughly that ratio as well.

[grandof8]

I'm just getting started and could use help. I what to make body or talcom powder and colonge for men. Right now I have Cedarwood Virginia, Pine Scotch ad Patcouli Dark. Can these be used togather or just seperate. Any ideas for other oils. Thanks

[ChrysN]

Those are great scents for men. You can use the three together, Patcouli and Cedarwood are both base notes (see step 4) and Pine is a middle note. Hugo Boss and Drakkar both have those oils in them. You may add another oil as a top note such as Bergamot, Citrus or Rosemary.

[grandof8]

thank you!! what is step 4 and how many drops should i start with. Thanks

[ChrysN]

In step 4 of the instructions above there is a brief description of scent notes. I would recommend trying a few drops at a time swirling and smelling it to see how it is. You usually need less base notes and more higher notes since the base notes tend to be stronger (14 drops top notes, 7 mid note and 4 base notes).

[grandof8]

Thanks I will try something with this info and plan to get the three you mention. I only see step 1 above

[jaydenjayjay]

that takes to long and than you have to bye it all

[lalala59]

Where could i buy the fragrance or essential oils?

[ChrysN]

You can find them at health stores, some department stores carries them (Walmart apparently does) or get it online.

[Emily800h]

I am trying to create my own line of perfume. Here are some recipe ideas i have, will they work? *rose,lavender,amber-*peppermint,basil,cedarwood and/or sandalwood-*cherry+vanilla,grapefruit+lemon,frankincense-*orange blossoms,corianderor+/or tagete,oakmass. Do you think these are good pairs?

[ChrysN]

I've used several of those listed (rose, lavender, sandalwood, vanilla and citrus) and it was really nice. But it is hard to say how they all work together until you actually try it out. You can make a small test batch and tryout several combinations, also if you add more of one scent and less of another it can really make a difference too.